


The Host

by sliceofpi9



Category: Free!
Genre: M/M, Slow Build, The Host AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-14
Updated: 2015-02-15
Packaged: 2018-03-12 09:28:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,633
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3351635
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sliceofpi9/pseuds/sliceofpi9
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Earth isn't a planet anymore. Well, it is but it's not the same planet that you and I know. Humans don't walk around. Souls do. The aliens who've taken over our planet are the ones who are in control now. Humans are the endangered species, after years of causing other species to go extinct, it's finally our turn.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I watched the Host this morning and this idea wouldn't leave me alone. Has this been done before? Some stuff is similar to the book/movie but other stuff isn't. I'm not sure how this'll turn out, it's very rushed. Title is also rubbish. Sorry.

"How bad is the damage?"

"He managed to break nearly every bone in his body. Fortunately we found him on time."

"Is he able to survive the procedure?"

"Yes. He'll survive."

"Then do it." Kisumi wasn't known as the top Seeker for nothing. Sure, it had taken him _months_ to find a group of humans and another week until he'd finally cornered one by himself. Although the human had been stupid enough to jump out of a window, _five_ storeys high and thought that he had gotten away with it. Well he'd thought wrong. _Nobody_ escaped Kisumi.

 

* * *

 

"It's too bright."

"Sorry, I'll adjust that." The lights dimmed slightly. "Better?"

"Yes. Thanks."

"How are you feeling, Haruka?" Kisumi strode in, sitting down on the edge of the bed. "Adjusting alright?"

"I don't know." Haruka rubbed his eyes, staring at his hand. Why did it only have five fingers? He should have known that, from the stories that he'd been told by his Grandmother that humans had five fingers on each hand making ten in total. They had a strange obsession with tens.

"You should try walking. They walk fast, faster than the last planet." Kisumi stood up and demonstrated, his bubblegum locks bouncing as he did. Haruka sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed, putting his feet on the floor. He stood up and Kisumi grinned. Haruka took a few steps, glancing at how long his legs were. How tall was this human? Not as tall as Kisumi, since he wasn't on Kisumi's eye level.

"How do you like your new host?" Kisumi gestured at the mirror. "He's tall, young and fit. You should be able to do more than when we were on Samezuka." Haruka turned to the mirror, lifting his hand up to touch his face. He didn't look like Kisumi at all. His Grandmother had said that humans varied in appearance, but Haruka had never seen or heard about a human with hair this colour, although Kisumi's was also strange too.

"You can leave in a few days. We have a mission for you." Haruka whipped his head around to look at Kisumi. "I know it's not your usual thing, but this human is special." Haruka raised an eyebrow. "I'll explain it to you tomorrow. Get used to this new host." Kisumi clapped him on the shoulder before leaving.

"I'm a human..." His voice sounded odd too. Not like how he had pictured it. It did suit the human though, he could imagine how this human would be considered special.

_"No you're not!"_ Haruka froze. Who had just said that? _"You're not a human! You're a Soul!"_ He looked in the mirror but saw no one except himself. _"Get out of my body!"_ Then everything went black.

 

* * *

 

"Haruka? Can you hear me?"

"K-Kisumi?"

"Good to have you back. I think you tried to do too much. You're not used to this host yet."

"Right." Haruka sat up, rubbing the side of his head. "Kisumi-"

"I'll leave you to get some rest. Tomorrow we'll talk."

_"You bet we will!"_ Haruka merely nodded, wondering _who_ was talking to him. Was he going insane? Were there some new side effects of their medicine that he hadn't been told about yet?

"Get some rest, Haruka." Haruka was going to do just that. As soon as he figured out who was interrupting his thoughts.

 

* * *

 

"Morning, Haruka-san." He groaned, rolling onto his side. "Kisumi-san has requested you go to him immediately."

"I will." Haruka sat up and saw the neatly folded clothes set out for him. Blue. His favourite colour. He wondered how that would work with the red hair, maybe someone had already thought about it? Clothing on every planet was different and what was fashionable on one might not be on another. He quickly got dressed and went to find Kisumi, he should have asked _where_ he was.

"Haruka!"

"Kisumi."

"We need to talk. Let's go into my office." The perks of being the top Seeker meant he had his own office, overlooking the ocean. Haruka's eyes widened when he saw the ocean, pressing himself against the glass. "You like the ocean here too, huh?" Haruka nodded. "You can go outside when we're done here. Sit down." Haruka reluctantly tore himself from the window and sat down opposite Kisumi.

"What do I need to do?"

"This human, was part of a larger group. They're living somewhere in the mountains but we don't know where. Your human knows where."

"And?"

"He hasn't completely faded yet, so you can tap into his memories to find out where they're living." So that was the voice inside his head? He wasn't going insane after all.

"How do I do that?"

"Close your eyes." Haruka did as he was told and felt something being put into his hand. "Relax. Think about home, think about where they are." Haruka realised it was a pencil and clutched it tighter, thinking of home. His home? Their home?

_"Don't you dare move my hand!"_ Haruka flinched. _"Don't do it!"_

"Haruka? Are you okay?"

"Fine. I'm thinking of Iwatobi."

"No, you have to let the human takeover momentarily and then think of home." Let the human take over? How was he meant to do that?

_"I'll takeover permanently and never let go!"_

_"Think of home-"  
_

_"No! You're not finding them! You're not finding my family!"_ Haruka threw the pencil, snapping his eyes open as it hit the window.

"He's a stubborn one, your human," Kisumi said. "He jumped out of a window in the hopes of killing himself."

_"He did what?"_

_"I thought that would be enough."_

"We'll try again later. Don't worry, you're not as used to it as I am. It'll take time." Kisumi picked up the pencil and laid it on the desk. "Go to the ocean." Haruka didn't need to be told twice and sprinted out of the room, heading for the nearest door that would take him outside. He quickly stripped and walked into the ocean. It wasn't too cold, so it must be summer. That was what his Grandmother had called it. Winter was when it was cold and summer was when it was warm.

_"How the hell do you know about seasons?"_

_"W-Who are you?"_

_"I should be asking_ you _that since you're the one in_ my _body!"_ Haruka floated in the ocean, momentarily shutting his eyes and saw the outline of a group of mountains. Rocky edges, dusty red and unforgiving. Was that where the humans were? Why would they choose somewhere like that to stay? Why not live by the ocean?

_"You didn't just see that. You didn't."_

_"So that is where the humans are?"  
_

_"No it's not! I visited there as a kid. It's nothing important."_ Haruka ignored the voice, gently moving his hands to keep himself afloat. No matter the planet, the ocean always felt calming to him. Whether it was purple, red, or in this case blue, the water called out to him like a mother to its child. Kisumi had once joked that he was the only Soul who was born in the ocean. His Grandmother had laughed and said that it was possible since his parents had been on a water planet when he was born. He wondered where his parents were now. They wouldn't be on this planet with him, they had probably visited it before and were probably in a different _galaxy_ nevermind different planet. He had Kisumi though, the two had been together on every planet since they'd started travelling and no matter the appearance, Kisumi was Kisumi and he wouldn't leave Haruka alone. Haruka wasn't sure if he was grateful for that or not. But for now he'd forget about everything and just swim. He'd worry about the human later.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haruka tries to get used to his new host, along with discovering some more human things.

Haruka had only had his new host for three days but he was already going insane. The voice inside his head wasn't fading away like Kisumi had said, if anything, it was getting angrier and making itself more known with each day that passed. He couldn't tell Kisumi that though, they'd take him out and then they'd put another Soul inside the human and he would have to wait until another became available. He wouldn't be able to swim if that was the case, so he'd keep quiet about the voice until he knew exactly what to do about it.

"What are you drawing?" Kisumi asked. Haruka wasn't sure if it was him drawing or the human but he _did_ know what he was drawing. The mountains. He wondered where they were, and if they really did exist or he was just imagining them.

"Is that where the humans are?"

"I'm not sure. It's not finished yet." Kisumi nodded.

"When it's done you should show me. I'm sure we can find it together." Seekers were notorious for _finding_ things. They were the ones who found the host species and the planets that they travelled to, which was why Haruka stuck so close to Kisumi. He'd taken him to planets that he'd never even heard of or dreamt about, and he'd seen things that he never wanted to forget.

"I will." That seemed to satisfy Kisumi who left, leaving Haruka and the voice.

_"He creeps me out."_

_"He's my friend."  
_

_"Do you know what a friend is?"_

_"Yes. Humans aren't the only species who have friends."_ Haruka stared at the sketch, tracing the mountains.

 _"Is this where the humans are?"_ He knew it was futile to ask, but he may as well try anyway.

 _"No."_ Haruka sighed and grabbed a new sheet of paper. He'd sketch something more familiar instead, like his home planet, Iwatobi. It wasn't that different from Earth, it was round and had oceans and land, trees, forests, birds, other species of animals that were specific to Iwatobi that he missed. He missed the dolphins who would talk to him, who would find fish for him to eat and who'd swim with him when Kisumi got bored.

_"Is that a dolphin?"_

_"You know what it is?"  
_

_"We have them on Earth too."_ Haruka stretched, rolling his shoulders. This host was weaker than he had first assumed, he had to sleep every night and eat often _and_ he felt tired after swimming too. He shut his eyes, trying to focus on the human's memories that would relate to other humans and then Kisumi would stop watching him like a hawk. That and maybe then the voice would disappear too.

_"I'm not going anywhere and neither are you."_

_"Shut up. You're annoying."  
_

_"How do you think you'd feel if someone else was in your body?"_

_"You're supposed to be gone."  
_

_"Well too bad."_ Suddenly Haruka's hand jolted and he felt his head hurting. _"What are you doing?! Stop!"_ But his hand kept moving, in an attempt to get everything down on the paper before he forgot or the voice got too annoying.

"Hey, Haruka, do you want some lunch?"

_"Don't show him! Hide it!"_

"Sure." Haruka pulled another sheet of paper over the one he had just finished. "Kisumi."

"Hm?"

"What if I can't get the information?"

"Then we'll put another Soul in, one who's trained for it. I just thought that you were getting tired of waiting around. You can't swim in the ocean here without a body." Haruka glanced at the sheets of paper. The mountains were hiding where the humans were, but the cave he'd just drawn was where they were staying. _That_ was what he had to show Kisumi. Kisumi had already gone though and Haruka pursed his lips.

_"Show that to him and I'll jump off a cliff."  
_

_"You already jumped from a window. Besides, this is my body."_

_"No, it's mine! I won't let a Soul take over."_ Haruka picked up the piece of paper and stuffed it in his mouth, chewing it so quickly that he thought he'd choke before swallowing. What had just happened there?

_"Nobody is finding them."_

_"You can't stay here, in my head."_

_"You're in_ my _head!"_

 _"They'll figure it out. They'll extract me and put someone worse in, someone who_ will _find them."  
_

_"Over my dead body!"_

_"I think that's the idea."_

"Here, Haruka. You look tired."

"Maybe that's just the way humans look?" Haruka said. "Is this fish?"

"Mackerel, I think," Kisumi replied. "That's what it says in their books. Humans are odd, labelling everything. Fish is fish, isn't it?" That _was_ odd. Why would they want to categorise the fish?

_"They're all different, some are poisonous."_

_"This one?"  
_

_"No, mackerel's harmless. Just eat it."_ Haruka took a bite of the mackerel and savoured the taste. It was good. He really liked it. Fish on Iwatobi didn't taste anything like this. Kisumi noticed and grinned.

"It's nice, isn't it?" Haruka nodded. "Apparently this town was well-known for its mackerel."

_"It's true. Mackerel was a big export from here."  
_

_"How do you know that?"_

"We haven't found anymore humans," Kisumi continued. "For a planet with a population of over seven billion, there should be more."

"You said they were hiding?"

"Even so. There's only so many places they can hide."

"Where are you looking?"

"Everywhere. Caves, mountains, underground. In their World Wars, they used to camp underground to avoid bombs? Isn't that fascinating?" Haruka nodded, although it wasn't as fascinating to him as it was to Kisumi. He was a Seeker because he loved exploring, he wanted to know everything about everything and Haruka was just along for the journey, he didn't need to know the small details about each planet.

"There aren't seven billion of us."

"You're right, there are more. But not everyone wants to come here anyway. We should find as many humans as possible though so everyone has a chance to explore. You of all people should know that, Haruka."

"What if you don't find them?"

"I don't know. That's not up to me to decide. Why are you so interested anyway?"

"I want to keep swimming." Kisumi chuckled.

"Of course that's it. I shouldn't have asked. I'll get some others pencils and things so you can draw. They have paint too."

"Paint?"

"I'll get some for you. You'll like it. For now just focus on finding where they are." Kisumi stood up, taking both plates with one hand. "I'll be back later." Haruka nodded, turning his attention to the window. He wanted to swim, but he knew that if he didn't give Kisumi something soon, he wouldn't be able to swim again. He'd have to make something up, or attempt to draw the cave again.

 _"You're_ not _drawing the cave."_

 _"Go away."_ Haruka sighed, rubbing his temples. Humans were a lot annoying than he'd imagined. If only Kisumi had found another host instead, he could be swimming all day and it wouldn't matter. It was all the human's fault.

_"It's not my fault. Get out of my body."  
_

_"It's my body."  
_

_"No it's not."_ Haruka lay down on the bed and shut his eyes. Maybe if he slept the voice would go away? It would kill some time, at least. With that thought, he drifted off, dreaming of deserts, rocky hills and a boy with teal eyes. 

 

* * *

 

"Haruka." He blinked. Had he actually fallen asleep? "Here's the paint. Maybe you'll have better luck with this?" Right, paint. He sat up and saw the pots on the table, along with some brushes and a blank canvas. He put a finger in one of the blue pots, grimacing a little that it was _wet_ and slightly sticky.

 _"You use a brush."_ Haruka had figured that out _now_. He wiped his hands on the cloth nearby and picked up the smallest brush. Should he sketch something first and then paint? Or just paint without knowing what he was painting?

"It's weird, isn't it?"

"The paint?"

"I don't see what it's useful for."

"You've never liked art."

"I _do!_  Just not paint." Kisumi pouted. "Work away and hopefully we'll have something by tonight, right?"

"Hopefully," Haruka muttered. When Kisumi finally left, he picked up some more brushes and gathered the colours that he'd need. He only had one image in his head. It must be a human that his host knew, why else would he have _dreamt_ about him?

_"What are you doing?"  
_

_"Painting...is that what you call it?"  
_

_"Yeah, but what are you painting?"  
_

_"I don't know."_ Haruka shut his eyes and focused on the image, letting his hands takeover. The human had good fingers, they were fast and nimble, which he liked. He could only imagine all the paintings that he could do with these hands. He didn't notice how much time was passing, too engrossed with getting the hair just _right_ , and making sure the eyes were the right colour. Making sure that he looked exactly like the image in his head.

 

* * *

 

"Haruka, is that... _who_ is that?" Kisumi asked, staring at the canvas. "Is that another human?"

"I...I don't know."

"It must be. I think we saw him with yours, but he escaped."

_"He's alive? He's okay?"_

"This is good, but we need to know _where_ they are not just what they look like. Is there nothing else?"

"Nothing." Kisumi sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Sorry, Kisumi."

"I know you're trying. The reason I asked for you was because I knew that you'd be able to draw what you see, nobody else can draw like you, Haruka. Not even me."

"I want to help."

_"I don't."_

_"Do you know who I just painted?"  
_

_"No..."  
_

_"He's from your memory."_

_"Maybe I do but I'm not telling you!"_

"Haruka? Hello?" Kisumi lightly tapped him on the forehead. "Are you okay? Did you listen to what I just said?"

"No..."

"Honestly. What's going on in there?"

"Nothing."

"Doesn't seem like it. How long have we known each other?"

"At least a millennium."

"Exactly. Even in this body, you have the same expressions."

"So do you."

"Good. I'd hate to change. Hey, I want to show you something tonight. Meet me upstairs when it's dark?"

"Okay."

"Have fun painting! Try not to paint too many humans, they have enough pictures of themselves without our help."

"I'll try." Kisumi nodded and patted Haruka on the shoulder before leaving the room.

_"You can't paint anymore."  
_

_"I am and I will. This isn't your body, it's_ mine _."  
_

_"It's mine, Soul. Mine."_

_"We'll see about that."_  

 

* * *

 

"Just up here." Kisumi held his hand out and helped Haruka up the ladder. "Isn't it amazing?" Haruka looked up at the sky that was littered with stars, each and every one twinkling in the night sky.

"It's..."

"I was told that Iwatobi is near that star." Kisumi pointed. "Humans have a subject called astronomy which is all about the stars and space. They have things called constellations, which is joining up the stars to make pictures."

"Pictures?"

"This one is called the 'Big Dipper' because it looks like a pan." Kisumi traced it with his finger. "Humans are fascinating, don't you think?"

"Yeah."

"That's why it's so important that we find them. We can't coexist with them, not like on the other planets."

"Why?"

"They destroy everything."

 _"Like you Souls are any better! You're taking over_ our _planet!"_

"This planet looked beautiful when we were younger, but by the time we got here a lot of it was destroyed. The forests, the oceans, the animals. We can restore it, Haruka, but only if we find all of the humans."

"I get it, Kisumi. I'll try harder."

"Good. You can stay up here tonight, if you want." Kisumi pointed at the sleeping bag on the roof. "It's called a sleeping bag. It should keep you warm. I'll see you in the morning, Haruka." Haruka nodded as Kisumi went back inside and climbed into the sleeping bag. It _was_ warm, he wondered what it was made out of. It wasn't like the blankets on the bed (which was also a strange thing, why didn't they just sleep on the floor?) but it was still comfortable. He stared up at the stars, wondering if the humans had any idea of the other planets out there, and didn't just spend their time creating pictures out of stars. Had they ever left Earth to find other planets? Haruka hadn't been there when the first Souls had landed, so he had no idea what it had been like when the first Soul had spoken to the first human. It obviously hadn't gone _well_ , but other planets had their species acting hostile to them initially and eventually grew to coexist peacefully with them. Why were humans so different? Why did they have to be so difficult?

_"Hey, you. We need to talk."  
_

_"Do we? I thought I told you to go away?"_

_"I'm not leaving. I already told you that."_ Haruka rolled his eyes. _"I, or I guess, we, need to leave."_

_"Why?"_

_"I have to warn them."_

_"The other humans?"_

_"Yes."_

_"You said you didn't want me to know where they are."_ Although it was too late for that now. Haruka _knew_ where they were, he just hadn't had time to tell Kisumi yet. _  
_

_"I'd rather you know where they are and be there than be here telling that guy-"  
_

_"Kisumi."  
_

_"Yeah, him. It'd be better if you were there with them than here with him."_

_"Why?"  
_

_"I have to get back to my family. I have to warn them about what you're planning."  
_

_"I'm not planning anything."  
_

_"The other Souls. You're going to takeover, and I can't let that happen."_

_"What are you planning to do about it? This is my body."_

_"You're going to help me."  
_

_"Why?"  
_

_"You want to see the rest of Earth, don't you? I'll show you a sight you've never seen before."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a slow build fic, I've just realised. Haru hasn't even found out who his human even is (any guesses?) but it'll happen soon, I think. Along with adding everyone else too and getting to the (actual) plot. I'm not sure if anyone's in character or not but hopefully it'll get better as I write.

**Author's Note:**

> This was rushed, it needed to be out of my system so I can go study. I don't know if I like it? Kisumi was the only one I thought of who could fit being the Seeker...or who I could see as being the 'bad' guy.


End file.
